A Statement from Vice Provost for Student Affairs, Susie Brubaker-Cole, on the Recent Facebook Post

Threats of physical violence have absolutely no place in the Stanford community. As we have discussed many times within our campus community, the mission of a university depends on the open exchange of ideas and the sharing of divergent viewpoints, including on controversial issues. At the same time, however, members of our community absolutely must be able to live, work and study at Stanford without fear for their personal safety.

We are actively addressing the issues surrounding the recent Facebook post that was physically threatening to some members of our community. The author of the post amended it to make clear that he does not support physical violence, and he apologized in a personal letter to members of the Jewish community at Stanford. While we recognize these steps taken by the author of the post, we also have an obligation to address the original communication and its effects. Our students must feel they are able to voice their own views on campus without fear of physical retaliation, and they also must feel physically safe in our student residences.

We are addressing these issues now. The author of the post will receive fair and thoughtful consideration, as our work with students demands. I hope you will understand that, in matters involving individual students, privacy laws limit what the university can disclose publicly. I understand that this may feel unsatisfactory in a situation that has provoked deep concern. I do want you to know that the university hears your concerns and the concerns of others, and we are working to address them in a manner that advances our commitment to an inclusive community and a safe campus environment.